The Steelhoof Chronicles
by Cajun Wombat
Summary: A taunka warrior who has nothing left for him in his homeland, decides to explore the strange new world he suddenly finds himself a part of. In his travels he finds out what it means to love, hate, & fight, FOR THE HORDE! I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS OR OTHER TRADEMARKED MATERIAL OF BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT
1. Chapter 1

_**I DO NOT OWN ANY OF BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT'S TRADEMARKED MATERIAL**_

PRONUNCIATION GUIDE

**Khonaga:** Koh-nah-guh

**Onamai:** Ah-nuh-may

**Tyraku:** Tear-ah-koo (the "Tyr" sound is made kind of fast)

**Okothos:** Oh-kah-thos (thos sounds like dose)

**Sarabi:** Suh-rah-bee

**Liwatha:** Lee-wah-thuh

**Valerian:** Vuhl-air-ee-un

**Helfang:** Hell-fang (this one shouldn't be hard)

Chapter 1

Strange & Faraway Lands

This voyage would be the death of him. He had no doubt in his mind that he would die if they did not reach Orgrimmar soon. The crew of _The Mighty Wind_ went about their duties, oblivious to the large, sickly taunka who sat huddled next to the brazier. Khonaga Steelhoof once more reached for the bucket the goblin first mate had given to him in case of an "unsteady constitution". When he had finished heaving the contents of his stomach into the alarmingly full bucket, he washed his mouth with water from his canteen. He huddled back into himself to conserve warmth, & glared sullenly at the first mate.

_My constitution is just fine. This is merely unnatural. If we were meant to fly, then the Earth-Mother would have given us wings, you green-skinned little weasel_, Khonaga thought bitterly. Dusk was fast approaching & he knew that he needed to eat something. He had gone without food since they set out from Warsong Hold three days ago. He began to dig through his pack looking for the rations he had purchased at the fortress before their departure. He picked out two apples, a loaf of day old bread, & a wedge of cheese. As he ate, he gradually began to feel better, & was soon enjoying newfound strength creeping through his limbs. He threw the cores of the apples into the brazier, & stood to stretch his legs. His armor clanged & creaked as he stood to his full height of eight feet & looked around the deck of the zeppelin. Captain LaFontaine had already retired to his cabin for the evening, & the night crew was beginning to relieve their daytime compatriots. He nodded to Grunt Gritch & made his way into the cargo hold.

The sounds & smells of dozens of animals assaulted his senses when he stepped off the stairs. As he was walking past a purple raptor, a musical voice behind him said, "Ya kodo ain't lookin' too good, mon. I tink zeppelin travel be disagreein wit 'im."

Steelhoof turned to see a small troll female tending to the reptile in its pen. Her bright red hair was pulled back into a ponytail, save for the small braids that hung down on either side of her face. She was smiling & humming as she scratched the scales on the underside of her raptor's jaw. The raptor stood there with his massive head held back & his eyes closed in pure ecstasy. He was perfectly content to allow the ministrations to continue, until the large red-furred taunka came near his master. The large reptile swung its head around, glaring at the taunka, & began to make a strange noise, somewhere between a growl & a hiss.

Steelhoof slowly raised his hands slowly & looked the animal straight in the eye as he said, "Be at ease, friend. I mean your master no harm."

The raptor returned his gaze before slowly lifting his head back up, indicating he wished for the woman to resume her scratching. He kept one eye on the taunka as he stepped closer to the troll, but made no further threatening noises. Steelhoof inclined his head towards the woman & introduced himself. "I am Khonaga Steelhoof, of Icemist Village. I am honored to meet you…?"

"My name be Onamai, of de Darkspear tribe. It be a pleasure ta meet joo as well, Steelhoof. Ya name be a mighty one, & one dat I've heard many times in Northrend", she said as she stepped out of the stall & looked up, taking note of the high quality plate armor that covered the towering warrior. "Joo wouldn't happen ta be da same Legionaire Steelhoof who singlehandedly killed all of General Wyrmbane's honor guard & den da general himself in de last battle for de Isle of Conquest?"

"Indeed I am, Onamai. But I must confess, your name has the ring of recognition for me as well."

Onamai's eyes glittered mischievously as she smiled around her small tusks, & said, "Oh, come on now. Joo wouldn't be goin & believin a bunch of gossip, now would ya?"

Steelhoof looked at the staff lying in the corner of her mount's stall. It was an exceptional piece of work, ornately carved, & glowing with arcane runes. This was not the staff of a simple conjurer. Steelhoof also inspected the clothes of the troll female. Silken robes that seemed to catch the firelight & shift colors with the shadows covered the tiny blue woman from head to feet. Steelhoof knew his suspicions to be confirmed.

"Yes, I seem to recall hearing stories of a female troll mage who led several successful excursions into Icecrown Citadel. That wouldn't be you now would it?" he asked, smiling at the woman.

Onamai cackled, & raised her hands in surrender, "Ya got me Mistah Warrior. It was indeed me dat led dose groups of fightahs into de Citadel of de Dead."

Steelhoof chuckled & leaned back against the wall as he asked the troll mage, "So what business awaits you in Kalimdor? Surely with the War against the Lich King over you will go home? I know that your people recently took back your ancestral home from a mad witch doctor."

Onamai walked back into the stall to retrieve her staff, & as she walked out she said sadly, "Aye dat be part of de reason I be headin home. I do wish ta see what trouble Vol'jin has gotten into & see da great city my people have built. But de main reason I be headin home is because my fadah died in de fightin. I be returnin home ta pay my respects & see my sistah before I report ta my Guild Mastah in Orgrimmar."

Khonaga bowed before the tiny mage & said sincerely, "May the Earth-Mother watch over his spirit. I am certain he died with pride & honor, fighting for his home & his people."

The mage smiled sweetly around her tusks & looked up at the warrior as she said, "It be a pleasure ta have met joo, Legionaire Steelhoof. It duz my heart good ta know dat one more member of de Horde made it tru diss hellish war. Even when so many uddahs did not."

Suddenly the sweet smile was gone from her face & she looked off into the distance, as if thinking of a long lost memory. She suddenly turned back to the raptor waiting patiently in the stall, but before she got all the way around, Steelhoof caught a glimpse of tears flowing down Onamai's face.

"May the wind always be at your back, Onamai of the Darkspear tribe", Steelhoof said solemnly, as he slipped by & left the woman to her memories. The spirits knew that he had enough of his own to haunt him for the rest of his days. He walked down to the stall where his kodo lay down in the straw, in what appeared to be absolute misery. The great beast barely opened his left eye to regard the taunka who stepped into his stall.

"How are you feeling today, Maximus? Any better than yesterday", Steelhoof asked the animal. The great black war kodo regarded him with something close to contempt, as he rumbled in a pitiful manner. "I know how you feel. I'm not much better than you are, at this moment. You should eat something. It helped me a great deal."

Maximus halfheartedly opened his mouth & ate a chunk of the hay lying in the trough of his stall. "There. Better?" Steelhoof inquired. His mount merely grumbled, but continued to eat, albeit slowly. Steelhoof merely chuckled & shook his head at the animal's obstinate nature. He checked all the bags that were tied to the kodo's saddle once again to make sure that nothing had been stolen by the crew or any of the other passengers. He did not like to think that anyone would do such a thing, but one of the other passengers was an undead rogue, & he knew that people in that particular line of profession had tendencies of kleptomania. The bags had been a gift from a friend & were crafted from the rare frostweave material.

After making sure that everything was there, he patted the animal on his massive side, & walked out of the stall to head back up to the main deck. Khonaga looked out upon the sea of blackness that was the sky, & lamented that the stars would once again be absent this night. He nodded once more to Grunt Gritch & made his way to the bunk he had been assigned for the duration of the voyage. Captain LaFontaine had said that they would reach Orgrimmar sometime before midday tomorrow, & Khonaga was glad that this particular journey was almost over.

As he lay down on his bunk, his mind shifted back to the troll mage, & her faraway look as her mind had excavated whatever haunting memory that had taken the laughter from her eyes. _Yes, my dear mage. We all have our scars from this war. The only question is, will they ever fully heal?_ He thought ruefully. Khonaga then closed his eyes & tried unsuccessfully to sleep without dreams


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Orgrimmar

"Wake up, my friend. We have reached Orgrimmar", the massive green-skinned guard said, while shaking Steelhoof awake.

Steelhoof groaned & rolled over. His fitful sleep had robbed him of any strength. Memories he had done his best to forget, had plagued his dreams endlessly. Faces of loved ones & friends lost to the Scourge, had marched across his mind all through the night. He slowly stood & began to make his way to the stalls downstairs so he could grab his mount & begin disembarking. Before he made it to the stairs, he decided to be brave & look over the guard railing of the airship. The sight that greeted him took his breath away.

An orange sunrise greeted a purple sky over a vast, rocky desert. The rust colored dirt was only a shade or two lighter than the red fur that coated his skin. At the edge of the horizon, he could see a village with small torches that resembled fireflies from this distance. As he moved to the front of the airship, he looked down, & beheld a massive host. Orcs milled about like so many ants, going about their duties, training, & building siege weapons.

"That there is the Dranosh'ar Blockade, named after the famous Dranosh Saurfang. He died fighting at the Wrathgate, & then again in Icecrown Citadel after that bastard, Arthas, raised him as a death knight."

Steelhoof turned to see a young orc walking towards him slowly. This orc had brown skin, identifying him as one of the Mag'har. Where most orcs were large, hulking masses of muscle, this one was tall & lean. He did not have the same hunched over stature that was common among male orcs, but rather stood tall & straight at around six & a half feet. He was clad in a chain mail & leather skirt that reached just past his knees. A black leather strap, adorned with the teeth of some large predator, ran across his otherwise bare chest with a single leather pauldron attached at his right shoulder. Upon his brow was a leather headband, with brightly colored feathers woven into it. He wore hardened leather greaves, bronze bracers, sandals, & leather gloves. Two wicked looking axes strapped to the orc's belt completed his wardrobe.

"There are so many of them. Why do they prepare for war? I thought the Horde & the Alliance had agreed to a cease-fire in the wake of the War in Northrend," Steelhoof asked the orc.

"Yes, we thought there would be an end to the fighting, but that peace was reached under the leadership of Warchief Thrall. Since Warchief Hellscream took over, he has been salivating at the mouth for a chance to take the fight to the Alliance. In the wake of the Cataclysm, he believes that only the strong may survive in this new, broken world. He has decided to launch a campaign to take all of Ashenvale from the night elves," the orc spat on the deck in disgust, earning him a look of hatred from the goblin crewmember who would no doubt be scrubbing it off the deck later. "It is foolishness, pure & simple. The kaldorei have been in that forest for over ten thousand years. They survived the War of the Ancients, the War of the Shifting Sands, & the Third Great War. Hellscream thinks that he will push them out of it? Bah!"

The orc looked at the taunka & stuck out his arm, "Forgive me, friend, for I have not introduced myself. I am Tyraku Windblade, shaman of the Earthen Ring."

Steelhoof grasped the orc's forearm firmly & said, "Khonaga Steelhoof, of Icemist Village. It is an honor to meet you, Far seer."

The mag'har laughed loudly, "No, No, No. I am not quite grey enough in the hair to be a far seer. My old master always said that my skull was too thick to see anything resembling the future. No, my shamanistic art embodies the chaos, not the balance, of the elements. I guess you could say my methods are, aggressive, where other shamans are more passive in their treatment of the elements."

The orc regarded Steelhoof once more & asked, "So what brings a taunka to Kalimdor? As new members of the Horde, it is not unthinkable to see a few of your people in the southern continents, but it is unexpected. I thought almost all of your race would stay in Northrend & attempt to rebuild your society."

"They will. But a few individuals, like me, have nothing left there. My family died, when the Nerubians attacked Icemist. I was out hunting & saw the smoke, but before I could make it back, Westwind Refugee Camp had already been established. Emissary Brighthoof even ordered me chained because I would not stop trying to leave so I could take my vengeance upon the dead spiders," Steelhoof said softly. "I decided that if I lived to see the end of Arthas & the Scourge that I would honor the Blood Oath that I took in that refugee camp, & the Horde would have my bones & blood, for as long as she had need of them. So with the War in Northrend over, I will travel wherever the Horde needs me."

"Throm'ka, warrior. You speak well & from the heart. I see great things in store for you," the young orc said with a fierce look in his eye.

"I thought you said your skull was too thick to see anything resembling the future," Steelhoof teased the younger man.

"I do not need to see the future to know that you are a powerful individual, as well as an accomplished warrior. It is a sort of prerequisite for surviving that frozen waste, don't you think?"

Steelhoof nodded thoughtfully, as he continued to survey the blockade. He had known when he made his oath that he would fight for the Horde who had rescued his people as long as it needed him, but he had no idea that he would fight so soon after the desolation of the War in Northrend & the Cataclysm.

"Look, Steelhoof. The gates of Orgrimmar are coming into sight. I have not seen the new Orgrimmar, but they say it is a sight to behold, invoking the 'Glory Days of the Horde'. I may not care for Hellscream's martial & uncompromising attitude, but if the rumors are true, then it will be a capital all members of the Horde can take pride in," Tyraku said excitedly.

The gates came into view as they rounded the last mountain peak, & the sight before him did invoke pride in Steelhoof's heart. Large, iron walls rose from the red earth, as if in defiance of the very world. Tall towers sat on both sides of the wall, roofed in red tile. Along the ramparts, orcs armed to the teeth with crossbows & axes, kept a vigilant watch. The gate was a massive structure with a large, iron wolf's head sitting atop it. The portcullis was raised in preparation for the cities daily traffic. The wall measured to be around a half mile in width, by Steelhoof's guess, with the last two hundred yards still under construction on the western side. As the airship crossed over the wall, the rest of the city came into view. Squat, red-roofed, iron buildings rose from the valley floor below. Streets paved with dark, granite stones spider webbed throughout the city. A lone tower sat in the middle of the first valley larger than the buildings around it.

"That is Grommash Hold. It is the seat of the Warcief. During Thrall's reign it was located in the Valley of Wisdom, but Garrosh relocated it here, to the Valley of Strength. Each Warchief's choice is indicative of their mindset, in my opinion", Tyraku commented. "Garrosh values only strength, whereas Thrall was definitely an orc of wisdom.

Along the cliff wall, above the Valley of Strength, Steelhoof could see what appeared to be the zeppelin towers, where they would no doubt disembark. _But how, in the name of the Earth-Mother, are we supposed to get down from those heights?_ He wondered dismally.

As the zeppelin neared the towers, Steelhoof noticed a smaller valley running from Strength to Wisdom. He saw dozens of shops running along the valley floor & large cloth tarps, to protect from & catch rainwater.

"That, my large friend, is The Drag. It is where most of the shops are. The large valley beyond it is the Valley of Honor. The barracks & arena are located there, along with most of the Orgrimmar based guilds, & a few inns. The zeppelin towers are resting upon a hollowed out mountain. Inside is the Cleft of Shadow. I hope no business ever takes you there. It is unsavory & is where most of the rogues & warlocks make their home," the young shaman said, with contempt in his voice. "But with all that aside, I welcome you to Orgrimmar, Khonaga Steelhoof, capital of the Horde."

Steelhoof disembarked from _The Mighty Wind_ & was glad of it. One flying experience was enough to put him off for the rest of his life. As he lead Maximus off the tower ramp onto the ground below, he stopped & thanked the spirits for seeing him through the voyage safely. He grabbed the saddle horn on Maximus' back & mounted up. Tyraku Windblade walked up beside him slowly, & said, "It was an honor to have met you Khonaga Steelhoof. I hope our paths cross again. If not, then may the spirits watch over you."

"May the wind always be at your back, shaman." Steelhoof watched as the young orc shifted into the ghostly apparition of a wolf & took off. Steelhoof nudged the kodo with his hooves, & rode up to the first orc he saw. "Excuse me, friend. How do you get down from this peak into the city below?"

The orc turned to look at him & laughed derisively as he pointed to a building some fifty yards away. "Take the elevator down, you fool."

"No need to be insulting, friend. I merely asked a question. It is my first time to the city," Steelhoof said defensively.

"No shit. What is a taunka doing outside of Northrend anyways? I thought you & the rest of your weak race would stay on that frozen rock you call home."

Steelhoof was becoming more & more agitated at the insults this lone orc was throwing at him. _Who is he to insult the taunka? He had not grown up fighting & fleeing the Scourge. He had not hidden from the patrols of the Drakkari while out hunting. He has no right to say these things about my people._ Steelhoof stopped & appraised the orc. Green skinned & hulking, this was a prime example of the orcish warrior. He was clad in black & red plate armor, just as Steelhoof was, with a large hammer strapped to his back. His eyes had that dull red coloring to them that was indicative of a former demonically tainted orc. Steelhoof stiffened as he realized that the orc was assessing him as well.

"My reasons are my own, 'friend'. Now if you are done being an insulting ass, then I will be on my way," Steelhoof said in a low threatening rumble.

The orc's chest swelled up & he glared at Steelhoof. "What did you say, cow? Say it again if you have the stones."

Steelhoof dismounted & stepped in close to the orc. He was fighting to keep from losing his temper & challenging the other warrior to a duel. He was confident he could win, most orcs fought on pure aggression & strength. They did not have the patience to outlast an opponent. But he did not think that fighting someone on his first day in the city was a good idea. It did not matter, however, as a hollow sounding voice rang out, "Be careful Brok, I heard Windblade call him Steelhoof."

Both warriors looked at the Forsaken male shambling his way towards them. He was clad in dark purple robes & had a dagger sheathed at his waist. By his side walked a massive, horned demon, which carried a wicked looking axe.

"So? What do I care what that weak little pup calls him?" Brok said, sneering at Steelhoof.

"Because there is only one taunka named Steelhoof that I have ever heard of," the undead male said in an exasperating tone.

Steelhoof could practically see the gears turning in the orc's head, when suddenly; the light of recognition came into his eyes. Brok looked at the taunka, & sneered again saying, "So you're the famous Legionnaire Steelhoof who killed Wyrmbane & his honor guard singlehandedly are you? What a load of shit. You probably killed them while they slept, or snuck up from behind like some cowardly rogue. No weakling cow would be able to stomach a real battle."

"Call me cow again, & you will find out just what I can & cannot stomach, orc", Steelhoof said, in that same low, threatening rumble.

Before it could come to blows, the Forsaken warlock stepped in between them, "Not here, Brok. The guards are watching now. Hellscream is throwing a tournament in four days to see who is worthy of being in the vanguard of the Ashenvale offensive. If the taunka has any stones, he will participate."

The orc warrior nodded his head & began to walk off with his compatriot. He brazenly turned around & yelled to Steelhoof, "I, Brok Bonebreaker, would be honored to disgrace you in front of the Warchief. I hope to see you there, Steelhoof."

"You can count on it," Steelhoof said with more than a little venom in his voice. He had not known about the tournament but jumped at the opportunity. Not only could he serve the Horde, but he could also teach that arrogant bastard a lesson he would never forget. The orc merely laughed & walked away with his Forsaken compatriot. Steelhoof remounted his kodo & made his way to the elevator. The ride down was noisy, but that was to be expected of any goblin technology. _How can such intelligent creatures be so damn annoying?_ He thought to himself. He questioned the first guard he came across as to where a decent inn would be.

"Most of the inns are full, but I believe The Wyvern's Tail in the Valley of Honor still has a few rooms available," the guard said after thinking for a moment. He then marked the inn's location on Steelhoof's map.

"Thank you, friend," Steelhoof said. The guard nodded & resumed his patrol. The taunka warrior resumed his ride through the capital city & again marveled at the magnificence of it all. The city was built in the same manner as the Horde fortresses of Northrend. As he passed into the corridor leading from The Drag, he asked another guard where a blacksmith was so that he might repair his gear. After the guard marked the location on his map, he made his way into the Valley of Honor.

Steelhoof rode up to the large round building that belonged to the blacksmith, & dismounted. He tied Maximus to a post outside, & walked in. Several apprentices stopped what they were doing & stared openly at the warrior. He wondered why they were staring at him until he realized most of them had never seen a taunka before.

A large orc hammering at a sword on his anvil looked around & yelled, "Alright, get back to work you lazy bunch of whores! Just because a stranger rides in doesn't mean you can quit working. We have armor & weapons to craft for the Horde."

"For the Horde!" all the apprentices bellowed, & resumed their work.

Steelhoof strode up to the blacksmith & introduced himself. "I am Khonaga Steelhoof. I have recently journeyed from Northrend for the tournament. I was wondering if perhaps you would let me use one of your anvils to repair my gear. I have my own hammer & supplies. I only need a workspace."

The blacksmith stopped hammering & grasped the warrior's forearm in a grip that could bend steel. "Welcome to The Burning Anvil, taunka. I am Okothos Ironrager. I like your style. I believe everyone should be able to inspect & maintain their own armor. Tell you what; one of my boys is out today. His mate is giving birth to his firstborn. You can use his anvil if you like."

"Thank you, Blacksmith Ironrager. I also have 100 bars of pure saronite that I would like to sell."

Ironrager threw back his head & laughed, "Keep this up, Steelhoof, & I will be taking you home. I'll take it all for three gold per bar."

"Forgive me, friend, but I cannot sell them so cheaply. Some of this ore was life threatening to obtain," Steelhoof said firmly.

"Indeed… I can give you five gold for each bar, warrior. Anything more & I'm slitting my own throat", the old blacksmith said after seeing Steelhoof's face darken.

"Very well. I will retrieve the saronite & collect my payment after I have finished mending my armor," Steelhoof stated. The orc nodded his head & resumed his hammering at the sword. Steelhoof walked over to the unattended anvil & began to strip his armor off. He started with his gloves, then his bracers. He then took of his plate pauldrons so that the chest piece would be easier to remove. After his chest was bare, he began to unstrap his leg guards from his inner thighs. Then his boots & greaves came off. Finally Steelhoof was clad only in his loincloth with his armor in a neat little pile next to the anvil. He had just grabbed his greaves to begin when he heard a gasp near the entrance of the shop.

Steelhoof turned & beheld a beautiful tauren cow, standing there staring at him. The resemblance between the females of his people & their southern cousins was uncanny. Only the males really stood out from one another. Tauren females had slightly longer muzzles & larger eyes, but that only accentuated their exotic beauty in his opinion. This particular cow had short tan fur, with a dark brown mane flowing down her back. Two long braids hung down on either side of her dark delicate horns & interwoven with the braids were leaves from an oak tree. Her, simple yet elegant robe was the light green of spring grass. She was small, even for a female, standing only at around six feet. She had soulful eyes that were the same amber color as a fine dwarven whiskey he had once gotten drunk on. She continued to stare at Steelhoof, who unashamedly asked, "May I help you?"

At the rumbling sound of his voice, the pretty little cow jumped & became slightly flustered. "My name is Sarabi Mistrunner & I am here to greet you on behalf of High Chieftain Baine Bloodhoof, & the tauren people. We are more than happy to welcome one of our northern cousins into the capital of our mighty Horde. You are also welcome to visit our own home city of Thunder Bluff, if you should wish it."

The taunka warrior grabbed another piece of his armor from the pile at his feet & set it upon the anvil. He picked up his hammer from the ground & began to hammer away, beating the metal back into shape. Sarabi waited patiently for him to say something, but no answer was given. Eventually losing patience, she asked him in an aggravated tone, "Did you even hear what I said?"

"Yes I did, but I am busy at the moment. I also happen to be in a mild state of undress. Is there any way we could do this another time?" Steelhoof asked without looking at the female.

Sarabi stared at him incredulously. "You don't have to be so rude. Why the hell are you undressed anyway? It's far too damn cold in Northrend for you to walk around like this is normal."

"So you figured out Northrend is cold? Good for you. The reason I am in my loincloth is because it is damn hot in this city, it is even hotter in this blacksmith shop, & my fur is a great deal longer than yours. On account of it being cold in Northrend, as you so intelligently stated," Steelhoof exclaimed, the whole time never missing a hammer stroke.

Sarabi was fuming at this point & had to take a few breaths to calm herself, before she could say, "I am only trying to be polite & you are being an unmitigated ass! I offer you the friendship & hospitality of my people, your cousins, & you ignore me as if I were merely prattling on about the weather!"

Steelhoof winced as the truth of her words struck home like a well shot arrow. He was acting just like that orc warrior from earlier that morning near the zeppelin towers. He set down his hammer & slowly walked towards the female. She took a small step back from him & resembled a deer ready to run from a wolf. "Indeed I was acting like an ass. Forgive me Sarabi Mistrunner, I truly meant no offense," Steelhoof said as he looked down at her.

This bull was massive! He stood at a little over eight feet with a chest wider than a kodo. His arms & legs were thick with corded muscle & his hands looked as if they could crush skulls. His fur was the color of dark rust & was a great deal longer than tauren fur. His face was his most intruiging aspect. His muzzle was flatter & the nose broader. A single bronze ring pierced his septum. His lips were a different shade of red than his fur, almost the color of wine. A long beard adorned his chin & made him look older than she thought he might be. His eyes were the deep dark green of pine forests, & were the kind of eyes that females swooned over. Like all taunka, his horns were not as large as a tauren bull's, but they were well kempt, black & they angled up & out from his brow. His horns looked as if they could do serious damage. Sarabi had to fight for breath. The way he had said her name, in that low rumble of his that sounded like thunder rolling across the sky, sent a thrill up her spine & made her ears feel hot. His smell didn't help her befuddled mind any, as the scent of crushed pine needles & something else that was intoxicatingly male assaulted her senses.

"That's all right. How about we start over?" Sarabi asked once she had stopped gawking.

"Indeed. My name is Khonaga Steelhoof, of Icemist village. I am honored to meet you, Sarabi. But I must decline High Chieftain Bloodhoof's offer of hospitality for now. I have only just arrived in Orgrimmar for the tournament. I do look forward to accepting in the future however."

That last statement was said in that deep rumble & made Sarabi blush again. "So you will be fighting in Warchief Hellscream's tournament? Then I shall have to make a point to cheer for you."

"I would be most appreciative of at least one supporter at this tournament. Besides, having the blessing of a druid would be a serious boost in my favor," he said, walking back to the anvil.

"Indeed it would- Wait. How did you know I was a druid?" she asked, more than a little shocked.

"Well besides your manner of dress, your name is Mistrunner. If memory serves, most tauren of the Mistrunner clan are accomplished druids of healing," he said matter-of-factly as he continued to repair his armor.

_Smart & perceptive as well as handsome,_ she thought & instantly chided herself again. _Stop thinking like that. You're acting like a wide-eyed little cow, Sarabi._

"Well Khonaga Steelhoof, I look forward to seeing you in the tournament. May the spirits watch over you," she said as she exited the blacksmith's shop. "Oh, & just a piece of advice. Visit the barber."

After the encounter in The Burning Anvil, Sarabi sat in Miwana's Longhouse & ate supper with her friend, Liwatha; a Priestess of the Sun. Liwatha had been pestering her ever since she returned about the legendary Legionnaire Steelhoof.

"They say that he singlehandedly won the battle for the Horde. Everyone else had broken formation & was running for the gates to retreat, when he broke through the lines & slew General Wyrmbane & his honor guard. Wyrmbane was the general of the famous 7th Legion, the Alliance's most elite troops. Obviously the male is brave, but he would have to be incredibly strong as well," Liwatha said with a faraway & dreamy look in her eyes.

Sarabi rolled her eyes at her childhood friend & said, "He was absurdly tall. His arms were bigger around than the legs of the largest orc."

"He's a taunka as well. I've never seen one of them. How different are they from us? Was he handsome? They say a taunka's face is flat, with no muzzle. Tell me, please Sara," the priestess pleaded using Sarabi's childhood nickname.

A blush crept over her face as she remembered the way he had rumbled her name, & her subsequent reaction. Just thinking about it made her ears hot again, & she began to shovel food down as fast as she could.

Liwatha saw her reaction, gasped, & said, "So you do think he's handsome? I knew it! Spill the beans, druidess!

"I didn't say that", Sarabi said defensively, while choking down a mouthful of food.

"Oh, please. Don't even try that with me. I know you far too well for that. You are blushing! What happened?"

Sarabi knew the other woman would never relent so she told her, "Well, when I walked into the blacksmith's shop he was repairing his gear."

"OK, there is nothing scandalous or intriguing about that," Liwatha said with a disappointed look on her face.

"He was repairing his gear, & he was, um, kind of, um, naked," Sarabi said as she hung her head in humiliation.

Liwatha looked at her in shock then began to laugh so hard she fell out of her chair. Even then she continued to laugh.

"He still had his loincloth on, he said it was because it was hot & his fur was so long," she tried to explain. This only made Liwatha laugh harder.

"I can almost see the look on your face!" she said, gasping between each word. "A ridiculously good-looking bull stands in front of you, hammering away at his weapons & armor in nothing but a loincloth. It sounds almost like one of those ridiculous romance stories that human women enjoy."

Sarabi glared at her friend then closed her eyes as she began to concentrate. Suddenly, thick vines sprang up from the floor of the inn to wrap around her friend who immediately stopped laughing. Liwatha screeched, "Dammit Sara, let me go! This is not funny!"

Sarabi was suddenly the one laughing loudly at her friend but she relented & ended the spell. Liwatha stood up quickly & glared at the other female. As the priestess slowly sat back down, the light of curiosity sprang into her eyes once again. "Be honest with me though, Sarabi. Was he handsome?"

The druidess looked her friend in the eye & said, with all honesty, "Li-Li, that is the most handsome bull I've ever seen."

When Steelhoof finished his repairs, it was right around supper time. He had decided to forgo shocking any more beautiful maidens, & had bought some well made leather pants & a white linen shirt to wear from a vendor next door to the blacksmith's shop. He loaded his armor into the packs strapped on Maximus' saddle & made his way towards the inn. The Wyvern's Tail seemed to be a decent enough establishment, & after paying the innkeeper, he led his kodo around the back to the stalls. There he paid the lanky troll stable boy to feed & water the animal. Steelhoof glanced around at the other animals in the stalls. Dire wolves, raptors, a few kodos, & even a massive Thalassian Charger, filled the stalls of the inn. Steelhoof removed the saddle & took his bags up to his room. Once he had accounted for all his belongings, he made his way downstairs & asked the innkeeper if she could have someone fetch a pair of shears & draw a hot bath. The innkeeper, an orc female named Nufa, laughed & said she could do better than shears. Five minutes later, Steelhoof was relaxing in the massive tub outside the inn, enjoying the warm water. He grabbed the bar of soap & began to scrub. Soon the water was so dirty, he was appalled that the tauren female had seen him this way in the blacksmith shop earlier that day. _She must have been disgusted_, he thought bitterly. Before Steelhoof could sink further into self-oathing, a tall male troll came around the side of the inn.

"My name be Gravy, & Nufa sent me here ta help ya. I tend ta dabble a little in da engineerin' arts, & one neat little contraption I learned ta make are deze gizmotronic follicle rippahs. Don't let de name put ya off of dem. Dey be harmless. Except for de one dat blew up on me. Dat was no picnic, mon. But deze here are much bettah made, I promise," the troll said reassuringly.

Steelhoof looked apprehensively at the contraption. The buzzing noise it began to make did not strengthen his resolve. "Don't you have any regular, non-exploding shears? Some of those would do nicely."

"Be easy, mon. Deze will work fastah & I will work less", the troll said, picking up a thick clump of Steelhoof's red fur.

All in all, the entire process of cutting his long shaggy hair took half an hour. The troll made it perfectly clear that he would cut the taunka's mane & his hair to manageable lengths. Steelhoof had him shear his face clean. He had never done that & wished to see the results of a face free from a long shaggy beard. Gravy told him, "If ya want ta take de time to properly 'groom' yaself, I will be ovah here. Not watching."

Steelhoof regarded the follicle rippers, & began to shear the hair from his body. Not completely off, since that would look ridiculous. He decided that a quarter of an inch would do just fine for his purposes, & proceeded to cut his arm hair, leg hair, & groin area down to those specifications. After he finished cutting, he rinsed off one more time in the water to make sure that all the cut fur had been washed away. He stood & retrieved his clothes which were hanging on a line just to the right of the tub. After getting dressed he realized that the troll's contraption was actually pretty handy, especially since he knew his fur would keep growing back & had no idea how long he would be in the hotter climes of the southern continents.

"Gravy, is there any way that I could buy these from you?" he asked the troll barkeep.

"Sure, sure, mon. I can always make more. Dey actually be a pretty hot sellah on de auction house right now. Let's say, thirty five gold pieces?"

"Deal."

Steelhoof stepped back into the tavern just around dusk. The days were so long here. Back home, you only had about ten hours of sunlight. Here in Durotar, you only had about nine hours of nighttime. He sat in a dark corner by himself, choosing this position because he could see the tavern's entrance, & could run straight to the stairs should he need to grab his axe & shield. As Innkeeper Nufa walked around to the different tables taking orders, Steelhoof's gaze landed upon a rather amusing sight.

A tall, raven-haired, blood elf sat at a table drinking a mug of mead. He was singing loudly in Thalassian & having what appeared to be a grand time. An eye patch covered his left eye, with a mustache & goatee combo completing the rakish look of this particular Sin'dorei. He was most likely a paladin since only those particular holy warriors rode the Thalassian Charger he had seen in the stables, & he was the only elf in the tavern. His suspicions were confirmed when he caught the glint from the large sword leaning against the elf's table. It was adorned with holy runes that glowed with golden power. When one of the barmaids, a pretty troll girl with bright orange hair, came over to refill his drink, he grabbed her & pulled her onto his lap. She giggled like a school girl & began to croon sweet nothings to him in trollish while stroking the left side of his face, near his blind eye.

"My sweet, sweet little Darkspear, I have no idea what you are saying & at this particular moment I do not care. All I know is that you are strikingly beautiful, & if I cannot have you to myself tonight, my heart will surely break. Shall we retire to my room?" he asked with a mischievous glint in his one glowing green eye.

The troll girl paused & looked away as if thinking then turned back to the elf & leaned in to whisper something in his large pointed ear. The expression on the elves face turned impossibly more mischievous, & he exclaimed, "My dear girl, you seek to corrupt my virtue!"

The small turquoise woman laughed again, & said in a low husky voice, "Ya bettah believe it, mon." She then dragged him to his feet. When they were halfway to the stairs the elf turned around, retrieved his sword & his mead, & allowed the woman to lead him up the stairs. Steelhoof laughed heartily with the rest of the patrons, & ordered his usual bread, cheese, & fruits. He even decided to indulge himself a little & ordered the same mead that the elf had been drinking.

After supper, Steelhoof had a slight buzzing in his head & his ears felt a little hot. He bowed his head & thanked Innkeeper Nufa for the food & hospitality, before making his way upstairs to his room. Two doors down from his own he heard the moans, grunts, & sighs of what sounded like fantastic lovemaking between the blood elf paladin & his latest conquest. Steelhoof chuckled once more & walked into his room shutting the door behind him. He flopped onto his bed, which groaned in protest, & thought of the beautiful tauren cow from the blacksmith shop. _What would it be like to wake up to a female such as her in the morning?_ He wondered. As Steelhoof slipped into the land of dreams he was not haunted by ghosts of the past. No, this night he was haunted by amber eyes, & a lovely voice.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Raid

"Commander Helfang, why do we wait? It only gives them longer to prepare. Our casualties-"

Two glowing blue eyes glared at the human mage & a low threatening rumble filled the air. The man cringed back from the towering monstrosity & wisely kept quiet.

"Let me worry about the casualties, Captain Mercer. You worry about your orders. Every man & woman in this outfit knew that they could die when they signed on. I have even given orders that they should not try to rescue wounded soldiers. They will merely slow us down & cause even more 'casualties', as you so delicately put it," the echoing voice growled at him.

"But sir, if we are to slay Hellscream, would it not be wiser to attack now, while they still slumber & have no warning?" the mage asked.

"I have no delusions of killing Hellscream, Captain. We would not come within a hundred yards of the Warchief. The Kor'kron would part your head from your shoulders before you could blink. You would do well to rid yourself of such fantasies. Our goal here tonight is to kill. Pure & simple. That is why I have been put in charge of this raid. Killing is a specialty of mine," the glowing blue eyes said menacingly.

"Ah, you want them to gather so that we might slay even more of their warriors. Aggressive sir, I like it," the human said with a malicious grin creeping over his face.

"I also have no wish to slay innocents, captain. This will give them more time to clear out any non-combatants."

Captain Mercer stared incredulously at the large shadowy figure. _Surely a creature such as this would revel in mindless slaughter._ "Sir, they would never show us the same-"

A large furred fist slammed into the mage's face, breaking his nose & sending him sprawling into the dirt. "You have your orders!" the glowing blue orbs roared at him. "Begin the raid, Captain Mercer. Tell the men, I will personally rip the throat out of any soldier who kills an innocent. Give orders to kill all druids & shamans on sight. Their healers are our main objective. Have the mages & warlocks set fire to as many buildings as possible**. **Warlock minions & hunter companions will be sent in first to disrupt their front lines. Warriors & paladins will follow, with hunters & healers in the rear." Sharp, gleaming teeth suddenly filled the black void underneath the glowing blue eyes. Captain Mercer shuddered as he heard that hollow growl once more.

"Kill them all."

Sarabi awoke to hushed whispers, & the sound of quick footsteps. She rolled over in her bed & sleepily looked around. No one was in the small house that she shared with Liwatha, but her & the priestess, who was sound asleep. Sarabi slowly stood, & slipped into her robe. She walked quietly outside, being mindful not to wake her friend. As she stepped outside, she was greeted by the shadowy silhouettes of Sunwalker Atohmo, Nahu Ragehoof, & Nohi Plainswalker speaking in hushed tones near the bonfire that blazed in front of Miwana's Longhouse. As she walked towards them, Nohi took off at a dead sprint, towards the Valley of Honor. Genuinely worried at this point, Sarabi broke into a jog & asked the two tauren warriors, "What is going on?"

"A goblin worker by the rear gate has been found dead. Normally this would not warrant investigation, as assassination seems to be a normal occurrence among their kind. Except the poor girl was found half frozen, with her throat torn out, as if she had been set upon by some wild beast," Sunwalker said quickly.

"What do you mean half frozen? That doesn't make any sense; it's hotter than Ragefire Chasm out here. And what kind of animal could sneak past the guards & kill one of the workers?" Sarabi asked incredulously.

"We do not know," Atohmo said, with concern laced in his voice. "But there have been reports throughout Azshara of goblins & orcs killed in the same manner as the little female tonight. They have been written off as nothing more than skirmishes with the night elves, but I am beginning to have my doubts. We need to notify the Kor'kron."

"And have another orc laugh in my face? I think not, my friend," Ragehoof said.

"We need to notify them, Nahu. What if a raid comes busting in through the rear gate? We need to be prepared," Sarabi objected.

"Who cares if a few orcs die? Hellscream will remain untouched, the Kor'kron will see to that. Besides, my love for orcs is stretched thin at the moment. I for one have not forgotten the unholy sound that Gorehowl made as it struck Cairne down!" Nahu spat vehemently.

"Neither have we, my friend, but Cairne would want us to do our duty to the Horde. How do you think he would react, knowing that you let innocents die, by doing nothing? He would denounce you as a coward, something we know you are not. Please go tell the Kor'kron," Sarabi begged the warrior.

Ragehoof stomped his hoof in anger, but took off running down the Drag. "Fine! But I tell you now, they will not listen."

Sarabi turned to Atohmo & asked, "How many Sunwalkers do you have under your command?"

"Twenty four, including myself. What would you have me do, druidess?" the bull asked quickly.

"Gather them & make your way to the Hall of the Brave. Notify the warriors there. We need to be prepared for anything. I will stay here & rouse as many healers as I possibly can. Hurry!" she nearly yelled.

Just as the Sunwalker was turning to leave, shouts & screams erupted from the Valley of Honor. The two tauren looked at each other with horror, & bolted to their respective duties. As the sound of ringing steel reached her ears, Sarabi prayed that the spirits would be merciful.

Steelhoof woke suddenly in the middle of the night. Fully alert, he looked around his room in a slight panic. He had woken this way countless times during his tours of duty in Northrend, & had learned early on to follow his instincts. He threw on the leather pants & linen shirt he had bought yesterday, & grabbed his axe & shield from the corner of his room. He slowly made his way downstairs & opened the door to the inn. As he scanned the open square of the Valley of Honor, he noticed nothing out of place, but could not shake his feeling of unease. Suddenly, the sound of shouts & ringing steel reached his ears. He continued to look around until finally, the source of the commotion became apparent.

Hundreds of humans, night elves, dwarves, gnomes, & draenei swarmed into the city from the ravine leading to Orgrimmar's rear gate. A few dozen guards tried to slow their advance but slow it is all they could do. After a few minutes of bloody fighting, they had been killed to the last man, & the Alliance raid once more began their inexorable march further into the city. Balls of fire & shadow flew everywhere setting fire to anything they could. The iron & stone used to reinforce the city stopped much of the damage, but it could not mitigate all of it. Within seconds a dozen blazes had struck up & were lighting up the valley.

Steelhoof turned around & bellowed up into the inn, "RAID!" Before he could even turn back around, a massive arrow buried itself into the stone with a solid thunk. It sat there quivering not even a foot from his head. As he shook off the near miss, he saw a column of tauren warriors garbed in golden plate armor & wielding an assortment of large swords, axes, & hammers advance into the valley. They ran towards the bridge that separated the two halves of the valley letting the citizens who were fleeing find refuge & help deeper in the city. After all the non-combatants had made their way across the bridge, the tauren paladins chanted as one & were suddenly garbed in a golden glow. Warlock minions & other creatures charged towards the holy warriors, who stood their ground. The clash of steel & the cries of battle once more filled the air as the paladins began to slay any foolish enough to come against them. Steelhoof heard footsteps thundering down the stairs to the inn, & turned once more. The sight that greeted him was both hilarious & slightly awe-inspiring. The Sin'dorei paladin from the night before was walking out of the inn, naked as the day he was born, save for a fierce grin & his two-handed sword. His one good eye glowed with an eerie green glow, & his other wore only its jagged scar. A large, red tattoo adorned much of the elf's naked back. Steelhoof could not make out the exact shape of the markings, but he did glimpse what appeared to be a wing swirling down the paladin's arm.

"Will you fight with no armor, except your cock & balls?" the taunka asked amazed.

"The Light fights by my side. I need no other armor. Now are you just going to stand there gawking or will you take some Alliance heads for your own?" He asked before bellowing a battle cry in Thalassian, & charging into the fray.

Steelhoof shook his head, & followed the insane elf. Just as they reached the rear of the tauren's formation, one of the bulls up front fell, his chest plate melted through. The stench of burning fur & flesh threatened to gag Steelhoof, but he choked it down, & moved to the front of the formation to take the dead bull's place. One of the tauren paladins glanced at him & quickly asked, "Can you hold your own in the front line?"

Before he could answer, a giant felguard came roaring down the slope, brandishing a massive ax. Steelhoof stepped forward & took the demon's blow on his shield. Before the horned monstrosity could regroup from the savage block, Steelhoof swung his ax upward & took off the creatures left arm just below the elbow. Rank, black blood spayed into his face, but before the creature could even finish bellowing in pain, Steelhoof buried his ax into the juncture of its head & neck. Foul ichor sprayed once more but the creature slumped to the side in silence. He managed to raise his shield just in time to deflect a giant fireball headed straight for his chest. The searing heat burned his arm through the metal shield, but the battle-hardened warrior just hunkered down behind it.

Suddenly the heat stopped & he chanced a look from behind his shield. The Sin'dorei had leapt in front of the group & was striking the head from a human mage's shoulders. As he finished his stroke, he stuck out his hand & a glowing golden hammer rocketed from his palm into the face of a dwarven shaman. The small man's head exploded in a spray of bone & blood & he toppled to the earth in a cloud of dust. The elf sprang back into the group to stand beside Steelhoof his chest heaving & his eye glowing even brighter. The front lines of the Alliance battle group struck up a battle cry & charged. At this point the Hall of the Brave erupted in a flood of armor & bristling weapons as the orcish warriors ran out to join the fray. Steelhoof dug his hooves in as the front lines of the Alliance raid charged down the slope to the bridge. The front line hit them so hard that they pushed the Horde fighters back to the far side of the bridge. They managed to dig their hooves in & hold the line until the orcs began to throw their weight in behind them. Things began to look even better when he heard a cry from the rear, "The healers are here! Fight harder, sons & daughters of the Horde!"

"For the Horde!" They all bellowed. Steelhoof felt his heart swell & his rage grow. He swung his ax & heard it begin to sing.

"Most of their warriors have joined the fray. Excellent!" Commander Helfang roared in triumph. "Captain, tell the second group to assemble near the water's edge. I will meet them there so that we may cross the water. We will sweep behind their formation taking out their healers & destroying their forces. Once done we will sound the retreat & make for Ashenvale with all haste."

"Yes sir!"

Helfang watched as his chosen soldiers assembled at the water's edge. _Tonight, we deal a crippling blow to the Horde. Hellscream will think twice before trying to take Ashenvale after tonight's slaughter._

He laughed menacingly as he thought of the blood that would soon feed his powers. Helfang ran down to the water to join his warriors & unsheathed his rune sword. When it made its hunger known, he spoke soothingly to it with his mind. _Be at ease, Rymeclaw. We will feast soon enough._

Steelhoof pulled his axe from the skull of the draenei, & used his shield to block a heavy hammer blow from a large human paladin. The holy warrior's blow nearly sent him to his knees, but he used the downward stroke to allow his shield to fall a slight bit, before bringing it back up with all his strength. The blow snapped the human's head to the side with a sickening crack & the man fell dead at his hooves with his neck at an unnatural angle. He snapped his shield back into position but no opponent rushed at him. The Alliance was not attacking as frequently as they had been. Unease began to worm its way into his mind. _Why does their attack slow? They were fighting as ferociously as I've ever seen. Why do they stop now?_ He wondered.

Steelhoof got his answer soon enough when the blood elf paladin grabbed him & pointed to the far side of the auction house. There at the water's edge gathered 50 eager Alliance fighters. Steelhoof was at first confused, but horror soon took its place. Striding to the front of the group was a massive worgen, clad in dark plate armor. Snow white fur covered the parts of his body that weren't covered in armor, & glowing blue eyes stared hungrily across the lake at the group of Horde healers that had assembled. The monstrous death knight turned & bellowed something at the warriors behind him then turned back towards the lake. The rune blade he had clenched in his gauntleted fist flashed bright blue for a moment, and then the lake water began to freeze. He flipped his rune blade around & plunged the tip into the water's edge. A twenty foot wide section of the lake froze from end to end in the span of a few seconds. The worgen death knight motioned his men forward & they walked fearfully on the ice. At one barked order from the wolf man, they quickened their pace to a steady trot across the lake, straight for the healers.

Steelhoof & the blood elf began to make their way to the back of the formation. As the first ranks of the Alliance warriors made it to solid ground he realized they would be too late to stop all of them. A blood elf priestess screamed as the worgen grabbed her by the hair & lifted her off her feet Somehow Steelhoof caught his eye & the beast smirked as he sank his fangs into the poor woman's neck. Blood spewed out from her ruined jugular & the beast seemed to drink it in & gain power from it. Once the poor girl had stopped struggling, he threw her body aside & bellowed a terrifying roar, blood dripping from his chin the entire time. It was one of the most blood curdling things Steelhoof had ever heard. The Alliance soldiers charged & began to slaughter the assembled priests, druids, & shaman indiscriminately.

Steelhoof felt his rage build as he turned to some of the warriors sitting at the back of the bridge group. "Get your sorry asses moving to the healers! If they die, we are fucked! Let's show these bastards how the Horde fights!

"For the Horde!" was bellowed by twenty warriors as they charged into the new front that had opened near the lake. Steelhoof led the charge & barreled into a dwarf warrior, knocking him to the ground. The stocky little man didn't even have time to roll over to get up, before Steelhoof stomped with all his might upon the creature's head. Brain & bone exploded out from under his hoof as he looked for his next target. He turned & was shocked to see Brok Bonebreaker swinging his massive hammer like a wild animal. A draenei paladin stepped forward to try to end the orc's rampage but, Bonebreaker caved in his chest plate with one crushing blow. The blue skinned warrior fell to the ground coughing purple blood, before one more stroke to the skull sent him to the afterlife. Just in front of him, a forsaken rogue was being torn apart by several hunter companions. His hollow screams ended abruptly as a massive nightsaber ripped his head from his shoulders. Steelhoof turned just in time to catch the sword of a night elf on his shield. The long eared warrior had a blade in each hand & was moving as fast as the wind. The taunka barely managed to parry the second sword stroke before it took his leg off at the knee. Steelhoof took advantage of the night elf's surprise at his quickness & pressed his attack. A flurry of blows came at the night elf faster than he anticipated, but he soon rallied & forced Steelhoof on the defensive once more. Steelhoof began to see a pattern in his sword strokes, however, & noticed that there was a tiny window where the elf's guard dropped as he prepared for his next combination of blows. After watching for his opening, it came & Steelhoof stepped inside the elf's guard. His ax glinted in the moonlight as he buried it into the elf's chest. A look of surprise crossed his face before the light of life left his eyes. Steelhoof kicked the body off his blade just as an orc warrior beside him fell to the ground, several massive arrow shafts dripping black blood from his chest. Everywhere he looked he saw members of the Horde falling in droves. _This is not going well. We need to push them back to the other side of the lake._ He thought desperately.

The healers had finally caught on to the Alliance's tactics & had swung their formation around so that they were positioned behind the group on the bridge & the group protecting them from the water attack. Steelhoof stepped towards the healing group, thinking to find whoever was in charge & see what their numbers were. Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through his left side & he whirled around bellowing in rage. A gnome rogue with a bloody dagger in his hand, danced away from the raging taunka with a gleeful little smile on his face.

"So you think that is amusing do you?" Steelhoof asked angrily. He stepped forward to swing at the tiny humanoid but before he could even blink, the creature was on his back, reaching forward with his dagger to slit Steelhoof's throat. The warrior roared in anger & turtled up, falling straight back. The move caught the rogue unawares & before he could react, Steelhoof's massive weight effectively crushed the miniscule assassin. But the force of the fall drove the little man's dagger right into the muscles of his upper back.

The taunka warrior slowly got to his hooves. He reached behind & violently yanked the dagger from his shoulder & threw it aside. He looked up to see the fight near the lake turning in the Horde's favor. Several magi had summoned water elementals, & the Alliance soldiers were caught between a wall of bristling steel & the watery minions. Shifting his gaze to the bridge, he saw that the Sunwalkers had managed to rally & with the help of fresh orc warriors from the Hall of the Brave, the Alliance line had been pushed back to the other side of the bridge. Khonaga Steelhoof began to feel a flicker of hope that they might win this battle. His elation was short lived, as that blood chilling roar thundered out across the valley again.

The worgen death knight was surrounded by several Alliance warriors who were killing anything that even tried to get near their commander. The death knight stood behind them with his arms outstretched as he cast some unholy spell. Sparks of shadowy lightning arced out from his palms into the bodies of every corpse within fifty yards of him.

The blood elf paladin had been engaged with a night elf hunter & his companion some twenty feet behind Steelhoof. When he finished them off he turned & saw the worgen working his dark magic. His cry of dismay caused Steelhoof to turn towards the Sin'dorei, who yelled, "Stop him! Do not let him complete the ritual or we are all dead, warrior!"

Steelhoof did not even question the elf. He just charged.

Helfang concentrated as hard as possible. He had never attempted to raise this many corpses before, & the strain on his mind & body was immense. Every muscle was taut with tension & every fiber of his being screamed out in protest of the strain. _Just a little longer, & our victory will be complete. Just a little longer & Ashenvale will be safe._

The shadow magic slowly began to animate the corpses & Helfang opened his eyes in glee. His triumph was short lived. For even as he opened his glowing blue eyes, a wall of red fur, horns, & a shield filled his vision. The creature, slammed into Helfang with the force of a kodo stampede, & stopped the necromantic spell. The death knight went flying through the air, & landed hard upon his back. He jumped to his feet, but was rewarded with pain. He looked down at his left side & blood seeped from a large hole right under his ribs. The damage was not life threatening since he could only die with a stab to the heart, immolation, or being decapitated, but it still hurt like hell & would slow him down. He drew Rymeclaw & faced his attacker with a growl. A massive red furred taunka looked him in the eye as he brandished a well bloodied axe & a large round shield emblazoned with the symbol of the Horde. The tip of his right horn looked wet & Helfang realized that the big bull had actually gored him. Barely constrained rage fired up his frozen blood. Helfang pointed his sword at the bull & said in broken orcish, "I will feast on your blood & use its strength to slaughter everyone in this valley!"

The taunka bull surprised Helfang when he replied back in halting Common, "Come, beast. Spirits decide fates tonight."

Helfang roared in fury & attacked.

Steelhoof had known that goading the death knight would cause him to attack ferociously, but he was unprepared for the sheer animalistic savagery of the worgen's assault. As the beast ran at Steelhoof, he stuck out his sword once more, & a chilling wind swept in from nowhere & robbed the warrior of all warmth. The chill was so draining, that Steelhoof did not get his shield up in time to fully block the death knight's first blow. His shield rang as the rune sword glanced off the side, & bit deeply into his upper arm. The worgen sprang back & watched Steelhoof with unbridled glee. He looked down at the blood coating his sword, & then proceeded to lick the taunka's life-blood from his blade. Steelhoof gasped as he felt a burning begin at his wound & remembered with dread, that death knights used unholy diseases to weaken their enemies. They let the diseases rob their opponent of his strength then the death knight robbed them of their lives.

_Unless death is what the spirits have in store for me, then I have no plans to fall tonight._ Steelhoof shook his head & clanged his ax against the front of his shield. He allowed the bloodlust of battle to give his limbs new strength. The worgen looked at him with surprise evident on his face. Apparently, most of his victims did not shake off the effects of his diseases so easily. Steelhoof knew that he must end this quickly or he would eventually succumb to the illnesses running rampant through his body. A loud bellow emanated from his lips as he rushed the unholy warrior. His first ax swing was deflected with a shower of sparks. Since his opponent was using a two handed sword, Steelhoof would be slightly faster & he needed to use that to his advantage. He had to use the heavy swings of the worgen to look for his opening. Even with such a large weapon, the worgen was surprisingly fast & deft in his handling of the rune blade.

A sword swipe aimed at Steelhoof's midsection was blocked hard & he swung his ax to catch the death knight's open chest. Only it wasn't there. As the sword rebounded back, the worgen was spun with away with the deflection keeping him out of the reach of Steelhoof's counter attack. But he had timed his spin so that he could bring around another strike before the taunka could recover from his missed ax blow. The death knight used the extra momentum from the spin to knock Steelhoof's shield out of the way, & he carved a shallow cut into Steelhoof's chest. Had it not been for the death knight losing his balance near the end of the spin, that cut could have very well ended Khonaga Steelhoof. Even so, the warrior could still feel the infection spreading through his chest now, & the weakness really began to take its toll. Blue orbs glinted with glee as Steelhoof began to stumble.

Sarabi was exhausted, mentally & physically. She had been in battles before. But none matched the savagery of this one. The Alliance soldiers came into Orgrimmar & fought with a ferocity many Horde members had been shocked to see. Many tended to think of the Alliance as weaklings, but this group was anything but weak. If anything, they seemed a little feral. Sarabi wondered if it had anything to do with the worgen death knight who had been seen leading them. They had heard rumors of Gilneans fleeing to Darnassus in the wake of the Horde's invasion, but not that they had been accepted into the Alliance. Sarabi looked around at the carnage. Bodies of all the different races littered the ground. The wounded lay there groaning & crying out in pain. They could not be helped yet, as all the healers, including her, were concentrating on keeping the still fighting warriors on their feet. A blood elf mage cried out in pain as a dwarf shaman broke his wrist with one of his hammers. The blood elf froze the dwarf's feet in place with ice blocks, but the pain was making him lose his concentration. Sarabi began to chant, reaching deep into the pool of power within her. As she tapped that pool, she finished chanting & cast the healing spell. The blood elf sighed in relief just as the dwarf broke free. The mage chanted three words & threw out his hand towards the dwarf. A bolt of flame flew from his palm right into the dwarf's chest. It burned completely through his leather cuirass, chainmail hauberk, & chest. The dwarf looked down in shock at his torso & toppled over in a puff of dust. The mage then ran back to the rear guard.

"Stop him! Do not let him complete the ritual or we are all dead, warrior!" Sarabi heard someone scream out above the din. She turned to see a naked blood elf with a two handed sword pointing at the monstrous worgen death knight. The beast was casting a necromantic spell & Sarabi knew he was trying to raise an army of corpses so that he might swing the tide of battle back into the Alliance's favor. Confusion filled her as she looked around for whoever the Sin'dorei was pointing at & soon it became obvious. A red streak barreled through the line of Alliance warriors protecting the death knight & sent him flying through the air. Her heart stopped in her chest as Khonaga Steelhoof squared off with the massive undead wolf-man. As the two fighters exchanged heated words, the battle around them seemed to slow down as more & more warriors from both factions stopped to watch the titanic clash that was soon to come.

When Khonaga had finished speaking, the death knight roared that horrible roar & charged. As he ran, she saw a powerful gust buffet Steelhoof, & she knew that the death knight was using his powers over ice to weaken the bull. She gasped in terror when Steelhoof failed to raise his shield in time & the rune blade drew blood on his upper arm. She felt a twinge of fear again as she remembered the methods death knights used to fight. She knew the diseases would soon weaken Steelhoof to the point where he could fight no more. But amazingly the bull shook off the blow & rushed his opponent. Rune sword met ax & shield over & over again in dazzling showers of sparks. The two warriors moved insanely fast, blocking, parrying, & attacking in blurs. She had expected such speed from the worgen, who were known for agility. On top of that the death knight's body coursed with unholy power, further augmenting his abilities. But Khonaga surprised her. She knew that he was a strong warrior. Hell he had survived Northrend & defeated a famous Alliance general. But she had not known he would be this talented a fighter. He moved with speed & grace, no small feat for a bull as large as he was. For every streaking blow the worgen sent at him, Steelhoof blocked & would counter with his ax just as quick. His abilities were even more amazing as she knew that the shadowy infection had to be sapping his strength.

Suddenly the worgen's rune blade whistled through the air & cut into Steelhoof's chest, eliciting a groan from the Horde onlookers & cheers from the Alliance spectators. Sarabi choked back a sob & began to run towards the bull.

Helfang saw the taunka bull stumble & knew that the infection was taking its toll. _It is time to end this. I will destroy this army & secure the safety of Ashenvale for months to come._ He raised Rymeclaw above his head & brought it down with all his might, intent on splitting the warrior from cranium to crotch. At the last second, however, the bull brought his ax up & deflected Helfang's blow to the side. Because he had put so much power behind the sword stroke, he buried the tip in the dirt beside the large Horde warrior. Before he could even pull it out of the red earth, the taunka punched his shield down. The edge of the metal barrier came down on Helfang's forearm so hard, that he heard & felt both bones break. He reeled back; howling in pain, as the horned warrior charged him once more, slamming him to the ground with his shield. The worgen went sprawling, & barely managed to hold onto Rymeclaw with his good hand. He would have gotten up & attacked the bull again despite his injury, but he felt himself flying backwards across the lake. One of his priests had pulled him back towards their lines with holy powers. He roared in pain once more as the holy energy reacted negatively to the dark powers coursing through his body.

He stumbled to his feet & was making his way to the water once more when Captain Mercer & several other men grabbed him. "Let me go! By Goldrinn's left stone, I will kill that bull! I will drink his blood & kill everything in that valley, I swear it!"

"Sir, we have to leave! The Kor'kron is marching through the gate from The Drag & Hellscream is with them. You said yourself we don't stand a chance against them. We have to leave now", Mercer said in desperation.

"Let them come! I will gorge myself on their blood as well! Kill them all!" the death knight roared as he struggled endlessly. The warriors could not hold him back. He was slowly dragging them back to the water's edge.

"Sir, please! We have completed our objective. We killed over three hundred Horde combatants tonight & only lost a hundred of our own. That is three dead Horde fighters for every dead Alliance fighter. That is a victory! Hellscream will have to repair the damage to his city & his army. He cannot possibly think of invading Ashenvale now!" The captain was almost begging now.

Helfang took a deep breath & fought down the bloodlust that filled his mind with a dull roar. He did behold the Kor'kron marching into the Valley of Honor with Hellscream shouting orders in the rear. The number of Horde corpses did far outnumber the Alliance dead. Helfang had no choice but to agree with the human mage. They had done what they set out to do. Ashenvale would remain safe for a little while longer.

"Sound the retreat. If they can walk, they better keep pace or they will be left behind. We need to be back in the forest before midday. Leave the wounded. There is nothing we can do for them except die with trying to rescue them", Helfang said with a sigh.

Mercer began shouting orders, & the hunters, mages, & warlocks began to cover the retreat of the front lines. Helfang searched & search until he finally saw where the taunka bull had shoved his way out in front of their lines across the bridge. Helfang stood up straight & roared as loud as he could, knowing that the bull would take it as a personal challenge. As expected, the bull raised his ax & pointed up the hill to Helfang & shouted, "Lok'tar Ogar!" Victory or Death._ But victory is not yours, warrior. Tomorrow, when the body count is finished, you will dismay knowing that the Alliance came out on top this night, killing many of your best & brightest._ Even as he thought that, he felt that without the bull's blood coating Rymeclaw, & dripping from his chin, it was a hollow victory. _Next time, I will feast upon your blood, warrior. Goldrinn would not dangle such a morsel in front of me only to snatch it away. A good hunter knows when to be patient, & I am one of the best._ Helfang sheathed Rymeclaw in its scabbard across his back & made his way to the rear gate & back into Azshara, growling softly the entire time.

Steelhoof lowered his ax & turned to the fighters assembled on the bridge. Every orc, Forsaken, tauren, blood elf, & troll roared in triumph. A large tauren paladin turned to him, & stuck out his arm, "What is your name, warrior?"

"Legionnaire Khonaga Steelhoof." He said as he took the tauren's forearm.

"Well, Legionnaire Steelhoof, It has been my honor to fight at your side", the paladin said with a look of admiration upon his face.

Whispers & exclamations of surprise ran rampant through the small army as his name was passed around. Many had heard of the famous Steelhoof, but none had known that he was the one to defeat the death knight & force the Alliance's retreat. Someone in the back shouted "Steelhoof!" & the chant was taken up by the entire army.

Suddenly, the crowd parted & a sight of unspeakable beauty greeted the wounded warrior. Sarabi Mistrunner was elbowing her way through the crown until she could stand in front of him. He noticed that her face was slightly tear streaked & wondered if those tears had been for him. This was the last thought in his head before he collapsed & agony robbed him of any sense he had.

"Catch him!" someone shouted, & Steelhoof felt himself falling. The ground never rose to meet him however, as pointed ears filled his vision & he heard the naked blood elf paladin say, "I've got him. Druidess, can you tend to him? We must purge the diseases soon or he will die."

"I can, but not here. We must move him the Valley of Wisdom, quickly," Steelhoof could not help but feel joy knowing that Sarabi would be the one to heal him.

"Rest easy, friend," the Sin'dorei paladin said as he & several others picked the taunka warrior up. "You fought well. Now you must be healed."

Steelhoof agreed & soon he had slipped into unconsciousness.


End file.
